Budgets prioritised to support key areas of work

This is an archived press release

Monday 10 December 2012

Further savings have been made to the Peak District National Park Authority’s budget and other money re-prioritised to pay for key areas of work.

Members of the authority agreed to a further £365,000 of permanent savings as part of a 30 per cent cut to its budget over four years. This will see the authority’s grant fall from £7.85 million in 2011-12 to £6.5 million in 2014-15.

The savings are being made by not replacing five people who are leaving due to voluntary redundancies and two through retirements. A further member of staff is at risk of compulsory redundancy.

The rest of the money needed will come through income generation and efficiency savings in areas including visitor centres and the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers.

However, a further £224,000 of one-off savings will be re-prioritised in 2013-14 and used to:

Recruit two young apprentices to carry out practical roles on fixed term contracts as a pilot project

Improve the authority’s website so it is easier for the public to find the information they need and access more services online

Make it easier for staff and the public to use data collected and managed by the authority

Extend existing fixed term posts for a year to carry out work to:

reverse the declines in wader birds

continue the Peak Connections public transport information project

deliver a new tourism strategy

continue to develop the Pedal Peak District cycling project and

do additional work in democratic services

Defer budget cuts to services and posts in the environment and economy service and administrative support teams for 12 months

Councillor Tony Favell, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “Through careful financial management we are continuing to invest in some key services during 2013-14.

“I am particularly pleased that we are going to be taking on two apprentices, which will help young, local people to get jobs in this tough economic climate. They will learn practical skills that should set them up for a career in the environmental sector.

“At the same time we have taken some tough decisions to make £365,000 of savings. While we have minimised the impact on jobs as much as possible you cannot make savings of that scale without having an effect on the service we provide to the public.”

The authority’s final budget for 2013-14 will be set at a meeting in February.